Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! Let's talk about the explosive growth in digital media subscriptions. It seems like everyone's hopping on the subscription train, and it's not slowing down anytime soon. Visa heard cries for help and introduced Subscription Manager for tracking and managing subscriptions. Spotify is hiking up prices in certain markets and introducing new subscription tiers. Get the inside scoop on how Paramount+ (a Recurly customer!) prepped for streaming the 2024 Super Bowl. Last but not least, Elon Musk's social media platform, X, is making waves by rewarding its most influential users with blue checkmarks and free subscriptions.

Looks like digital media subscriptions have been booming since 2020

Remember how everyone was enthusiastic about subscriptions during the pandemic? Well, turns out, that trend isn't slowing down anytime soon. According to a recent report from Recurly, digital media and entertainment subscriptions have been booming since 2020, with a 124% increase in subscribers. And digital publishing? Hold onto your hats, because it saw a massive 536% increase! Read more on Recurly.

Visa wants you to have a one-stop shop for tracking and managing subscriptions

Visa just launched Subscription Manager. Visa gets it. They've seen the subscription market explode, reaching an estimated $406 billion by 2025. With all these subscriptions floating around, it's easy to lose track, right? That's where Subscription Manager wants to swoop in to give consumers what they want. Read more on FinTech Magazine.

Spotify is hiking up their prices and shaking things up with a new subscription tier

According to a report from Bloomberg, Spotify's planning to jack up prices in five markets, including the UK and Australia, with the US on the list later this year. Plus, get ready for a new subscription tier called "Basic." It'll give you music and podcasts, but no audiobooks. But that's not all. Rumor has it, they're cooking up a fancy new tier called "Supremium," which will offer top-notch audio quality and even AI-powered playlists. Read more on Music Business Worldwide.

Get the inside scoop: How Paramount+ scored big with new subscribers post-Super Bowl

You know how the Super Bowl is basically the highlight of TV-watching every year? Well, imagine the pressure and opportunity that comes with streaming the big game. Domenic DiMeglio, the brain behind Paramount Streaming, spilled the beans on how they prepped for streaming the 2024 Super Bowl on Paramount+. Read more on Yahoo Entertainment. 

Elon Musk's X is giving out blue checkmarks and free subscriptions to its most influential users

X is rolling out some cool new perks for their users, especially the ones they think are making a big impact. If you have lots of followers, you might just get some premium features for free. This includes getting a blue checkmark on your profile. Normally, these premium features come with a price tag, but Elon's giving them away to users with over 2,500 verified subscribers for free, and those with over 5,000 are getting an even fancier package called Premium+. Read more on CNBC.

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📝The complete checklist for launching a subscription offering

Download our exclusive checklist today and step into a world of strategic insights and actionable tips to start a subscription business. Whether you're refining your offerings or starting from scratch, our checklist guides you through every crucial stage–from market research to global expansion. Download the checklist. 

From the Recurly blog